Camaldolese Monastery in Bielany, Kraków — when women can visit and how to get there

The Camaldolese Monastery in Bielany is one of the most unusual places in Kraków: for more than 400 years it has been home to hermit monks who live in silence and prayer. Men can enter the grounds at set hours, while women are allowed in on only 12 days a year. Here’s who the Camaldolese are, which days are open to women, and how to get to Silver Hill (Srebrna Góra).

Who are the Camaldolese monks?

The order was founded in the 11th century, when St Romuald was given land in the Apennines for his first hermitage. The area was named campo di Maldolo after its benefactor, Maldolus, and its inhabitants became known as the Camaldoli. The hermits spent their days in their cells, fasted strictly and kept silence.

A few centuries later, Blessed Paul Giustiniani founded the Monte Corona branch, which puts particular emphasis on the hermit rule and the motto ora et labora — pray and work. This is the branch that lives in Kraków.

The Camaldolese coat of arms shows two doves drinking from one chalice, a symbol of the union of hermit and monastic life. The chalice in the middle represents God, the centre of the community’s life. The Monte Corona branch adds a cross with a crown on top of a mountain.

The Camaldolese in Kraków’s Bielany

The monks founded their first hermitage in Poland in 1604, with the support of Marshal Mikołaj Wolski, right here on Silver Hill — and it is still active today. The monks do manual work, pray, abstain from meat and live as hermits. They shave their heads as a sign of detachment from worldly matters and grow long beards.

Each monk lives in his own small house. The brothers meet for prayer and may talk only on set days of the week. No organ or other instruments are used during services.

Monte Corona monks wear a white habit with a scapular sewn to the hood, a white belt and a white choir cloak. The white robes gave the name to the districts where they settled: Bielany, from the Polish word for white — both in Kraków and in Warsaw.

Who can visit the monastery?

The monastery is surrounded by a wall, and visitors never enter the hermitage itself, where the monks’ houses stand. Men can visit the church and the courtyard every day at set hours in the morning and afternoon. The monastery does not publish its opening hours online and sources differ, so it’s worth calling ahead (tel. +48 12 429 76 10).

Women can pass through the gate on only 12 days a year, mostly church holidays. All known lists agree on these days:

• Easter Sunday — 28 March in 2027,
• Pentecost Sunday and Monday — 16 and 17 May in 2027,
• the Sunday after 19 June — 20 June in 2027,
• the Assumption — 15 August,
• the Nativity of Mary — 8 September,
• Christmas Day — 25 December.

The remaining days vary between sources (some lists include Easter Monday, 3 May and selected Sundays in July and August, others Corpus Christi and 8 December), so confirm the date with the monastery before you go. On these days women can visit the church and its immediate surroundings.

Behind the gate stands the baroque Church of the Assumption, modelled on Il Gesù in Rome, with frescoes by Tommaso Dolabella, one of the leading painters of the Polish baroque.

How to get to the Camaldolese Monastery

The easiest way is to take a tram from the city centre to the Salwator terminus and change to a bus to the Bielany Klasztor stop (request stop). Lines 209, 229, 239, 269 and 279 run there, as well as line 109, which passes through Salwator. From the stop, it’s about a 1.5 km uphill walk through the woods, so wear comfortable shoes. You can also walk all the way from Salwator — a pleasant half-day trip.

Good to know

• The order also includes a community of Camaldolese nuns, with convents in Złoczew and Tyszowce.
• Formation before final vows takes at least about five and a half years.
• Silver Hill is said to take its name from the silver plates Mikołaj Wolski paid for the land.
• Photographing the monks is not allowed.

Where to stay in Kraków

Bielany makes a good half-day trip from the centre. A convenient base is Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town at 6 Świętej Gertrudy Street, about 500 m from the Main Square, or Hotel Regent in a historic townhouse in Kazimierz.

Frequently asked questions

When can women visit the Camaldolese Monastery in Kraków?

Only on 12 days a year, including Easter Sunday, Pentecost Sunday and Monday, 15 August, 8 September and 25 December. The full list varies between sources, so it’s best to confirm the date with the monastery.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. Men can visit the church and courtyard at set hours, women on set days. Visitors do not enter the hermitage with the monks’ houses.

How do I get to the monastery in Bielany?

Take a bus from the Salwator terminus (lines 209, 229, 239, 269, 279 or 109) to the Bielany Klasztor request stop, then walk about 1.5 km uphill.

Updated in October 2026.